CME Sit-Down : Ghastly

Ghastly has been on a roll since he launched his project. David Lee Crow has been receiving tremendous fan support and critical acclaim for quite some time but he has not let that go to his head. He has focused on his music and on himself and has been only improving himself, one gig at a time. Having played to packed audiences at some of the biggest festivals across the world, Ghastly returned to India this month for the Vh1 Supersonic festival in Pune.

We had a chat with David before his incredible set at Vh1 Supersonic festival and were blown away by his love for India and his Indian fans. We also discussed about his plans for 2018 and about his relationship with his manager Moe Shalizi. Read the full interview below.

Welcome to India, David. Your fans have been going crazy since your name was announced on the lineup. How have you been?

Thanks Guys. I am equally thrilled to be here. I have been great, have been busy working and travelling, little bit exhausted from the travel here but I can always rely on India to bring me back whether its the food or the people something brings up all the energy back.

2017 has been a phenomenal year for you, with intense touring and some belter tunes under your name. How does 2018 look for Ghastly?

I plan on it being my best year yet. Honestly, I have been doing some really big plans for new tour concept. I have been working on it like six months now and its finally going to be coming into reality this year and I'm just really hyped on it because i'm releasing a new album with it and whole new concept, whole new album, whole new everything so i'm very very stoked!

From growing up at a goat farm to a successful artist with millions of fans around the world, did you ever picture this when you started your music career?

Only in my dreams you know, I’d literally take a picture of a really big crowd and just imagine it was me playing to it sometimes you know I’d just really imagine that it was possible, which I feel like which is really important if you want to do something great you have to imagine that it’s possible first and it took me 4 to 5 years after I choose to do Ghastly. Took 4 years of hard work and committing to it, until I finally started seeing some type of result. So it was definitely something which was in my head but if you ask the 13 year old me, that you are going to be playing VH1 Supersonic festival in India, (You know in my head: Yeah, Maybe) It’s amazing, I'm so blessed that I get to come to places like India which is so incredible and share my art. It's a beautiful experience.

You started working at an early age. Do you think starting to work early in your life had an impact on the way you perceive your career now?

Oh yeah, totally. I feel like all the jobs to me were like continuing to work my ass off, continuing to no matter what obstacle came up in front of me I was gonna push through to whatever one was there. I look forward to it, it was fun and it diversified the way I approach obstacles in my life because each one was so different. I was fired from every single one of them, fired from every restaurant, fired from every clothing store, I was fired from every single job. I was even fired from my parents goat farm, they were like dude you suck we need to make you cheese and you are like running here and there and not paying attention and writing songs.

How influential has Moe Shalizi been in your career development? How essential is to have a manager who understands you and your music?

Oh its extremely essential, I started working with Moe I think late 2016 is when I joined his roster and it’s a beautiful thing because everyone on the roster people that I have been friends with for so long and its really like a family and Im very grateful for that. He is been crucial to my career, he has done so many incredible things for me and he gives me some of the best advice. A manager is not just a manager, he is also a friend and they are also a bit of guru at the time of your confusion. I have been definitely been at a times of confusion, where im like blah-blah-blah is bothering me, whether its been a personal thing like a relationship advise that’s what he is there for. He there for me at any time and whenever I need him.

You are very open about your views in general on social media, are you the same in real life?

You know, actually my opinions and my view points I have reserved them a bit more on recent days just because I find it distracts from the art and you know like Im not a politician, Im not a spiritual leader, Im an artist, I make music, that’s what I do. My opinions are fully unreserved whenever I share them like on a one on one basis are fully unreserved. But you know, I don’t want someone to feel like they can’t enjoy my song because they don’t like how I feel about a certain artist or their music or anything like that. I have actually evolved into this new level of thinking were I just want everything that I share with anyone to have a positive impact. Well if someone receives it negatively that’s purely because they are negative person.

This is your second visit to India, as you are playing at one of India’s biggest Electronic Music Festivals VH1 Supersonic, How excited were you to play at the festival and how does it feel after completing your set?

It’s incredible, absolutely incredible. I mean being able to play in India the first place is amazing, but being able in India with VH1 Supersonic festival that is so massive with all my friends and so many incredible people its nothing short of astonishing and im just like you know, the way I feel when I walk of stage is amazing. I honestly, I like the feeling that I have after I finished the set a little bit more than before because no matter how many times I do this shit I still feel a little pre show jitter no matter how many times and Im glad because as soon as I lose that pre show jitter I feel like I have lost the portion of my passion for doing it. I have seen multiple artists you know they have lost that and they play and finish and walk off they seem like they are bored like dude, you are sharing music with people and creating experiences around the world and people are relaying on you only for an hour and a half, give them emotions they have never felt before. What’s not to be excited about.

Quick fire questions:

WWE OR UFC
WWF!

Rock Music or Opera
If I had to choose one, uhmm that’s hard actually cuz I love opera but rock music made me who I am so Rock.

Cliff Diving or Snow Boarding
Cliff Diving.

Tequila or Champagne
If I'm in mexico then Tequila or else Champagne.

Last track played on your phone
Hard to say, I think it was Virtual Riot: Show Up